Why People Said I “Left” Modern Arnis – And Why They’re Wrong

For years, I’ve heard the same rumor: “Tim left Modern Arnis.”

Some even claim it happened while Professor was still alive — years before his diagnosis. And I’ve always wondered… where on earth does that come from?

During that time, my students were passing black belt tests. Professor had me teaching not just the forms, but other key aspects of the art. People sought me out specifically to prepare for their own black belt tests. That doesn’t sound like leaving the art to me.

But then came the ’99 Michigan camp. I was talking with Randy Shea when he suddenly said, “You don’t even do Modern Arnis anymore.” It caught me completely off guard. I had no idea how to unpack that statement.

When I thought about it, I realized the opposite was true — I was doing a deeper dive into Modern Arnis than most. The difference was that I approached it as a standalone system, not just “the art within your art.”

It started with language. Professor Presas often used English names for techniques. Nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to connect more closely to the art’s Filipino roots. If I was teaching Filipino martial arts, I wanted Filipino terminology whenever possible.

Take the “six-count drill,” for example — more authentically called sumbrada. We also had a ten-count version. So when I taught it, I’d say: “We’re going to do sumbrada drill, six-count version.” Still in line with how Professor referred to it, but with the original term front and center.

Another example: gunting, which means “to scissor.” Many know it as a limb destruction. If you look at the opening of the second form, you see limb destructions on both the left and right sides. If you only did Modern Arnis as cross-training, you might miss that connection. As my primary system, I had the opportunity — and the reason — to go deeper.

That ’99 camp was also the year Professor called me Datu. At the 2000 Michigan camp, I tested for my 6th degree. Professor announced it as the highest black belt test in the United States — the highest in over 17 years — and told me, “Now you’re a Datu in their eyes, because you were already a Datu in mine.”

Yet after his passing, the same rumor persisted. People pointed to the fact that I trained in Kuntaw, Sikaran, Balintawak, and other Filipino systems as “proof” I’d left the art. But here’s the thing — I was doing that while Professor was still alive. And he supported it.

Modern Arnis is a hybrid art. Professor himself told me about the systems that influenced it — Kuntaw, Sikaran, Balintawak, and more. He personally introduced me to Balintawak Grandmaster Ted Buot in Detroit, where I got direct access to one of Modern Arnis’s biggest influences. I trained with Wally Jay, whose Small Circle Jujitsu also shaped our curriculum.

I didn’t study these systems to “run away” from Modern Arnis — I studied them to understand it more completely. Unfortunately, jealousy and insecurity make some people rewrite the story.

Today, I teach a Presas Arnis curriculum — an umbrella that includes the systems I’ve learned. But when it’s time to teach Modern Arnis, Balintawak, Kuntaw, or Sikaran, I can separate them and do each justice. I know exactly what belongs to each art.

Here’s my philosophy: you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from. Innovation is important, but it has to be built on a solid foundation. As I tell my students — algebra, calculus, and trigonometry are just advanced math, but they’re impossible without mastering basic math first. Advanced techniques are simply sophisticated basics.

So, did I “leave” Modern Arnis? No. I went deeper than most were willing to go. You can decide for yourself — but I know the truth.

Respectfully,
GM Datu Tim Hartman
CEO, World Modern Arnis Alliance

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